Theodore "Ted" Thomas Gillam

Theodore "Ted" Thomas Gillam was born on Tuesday March 16, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan to Robert C. Gillam and Jennie D. (Ridosh) Gillam. He went to be with the Lord with his family by his side on Tuesday May 28, 2019 in Frisco, Texas.

Ted grew up in Dearborn, MI and later Battle Creek, MI he was an only child. His father worked for AT&T before and after World War II, with his work on a military contract in the late 1950s taking the family to Battle Creek, MI, where Ted would graduated high school.

Ted graduated from Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, Michigan in 1961. He then went on to earn a BS in Industrial Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1966. Then an MS in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1988.

Theodore began his career as an industrial engineer but quickly switched to information technology, working his way through a succession of IT consulting jobs with various computer manufacturers. In the early 1980s, he started TG Products, which manufactured joysticks and other game control accessories for the Apple II and other early personal computers, riding the early personal-computer wave. He followed this with a stint as the owner of a travel agency, and then went back to grad school, earning his master's degree at UTD while managing the computer labs there. He parlayed his experience into a series of jobs as the head of IT for various larger companies and as the CTO of a dot-com startup before retiring early in 2002 and enjoying a series of post-retirement jobs, most notably as a radio host and a performing magician.

He met Joyce Scrivo during his undergraduate years at the University of Michigan. They were married in 1965, and during their 54-year marriage, produced two children, Richard Gillam and Leigh Anne (Gillam) Boynton. He was a devoted husband and father. He'd do anything for Joyce, his kids and grandchild, Kennedy Boynton.

Ted was an active member and leader of several Lutheran congregations over the years, and having joined Christ United Methodist in 2000, participated in a number of church boards and projects. He served as treasurer of the Family Living Sunday school class.

He was also a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity in college, and was a lifelong member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians and for a few years, the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Ted had many hobbies and interests including photography, playing drums, woodworking, cooking, golf and most importantly, magic! Whatever he took an interest in, he pursued it with a single-minded passion. Introduced to magic as a five-year-old and inspired by meeting the famous Harry Blackstone, magic became a lifelong passion. He drifted away from magic in favor of other interests, but kept it up and eventually returned to it in his later years, spending the last few years of his life constantly developing, practicing and professionally performing his magic act at various retirement communities.

Ted's favorite place to be was in his reclining chair with feet up and a Southern Comfort Manhattan in his hand, he loved watching cooking shows and shoot'em-ups TV. He loved puzzles of all kinds, which led him to a career in the computer industry, and to magic as a lifelong hobby. His musical tastes ranged wide, but he was particular fond of Dixieland jazz and country. He was known for his saying " Write if you get work, and hang by your thumbs!"

He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert C. Gillam and Jennie D. (Ridosh) Gillam.

He is survived by his best friend and love of his life, Joyce Elaine (Scrivo) Gillam, son Richard Theodore Gillam of San Jose, California, daughter, Leigh Anne (Gillam) Boynton of Carrollton, Texas and grandson Kennedy Lee Boynton.

Services for Theordore "Ted" Thomas Gillam will be held on Friday June 7, 2019 at 3 PM at Christ United Methodist Church 3101 Coit Road Plano, Texas 75075. To leave condolences to the family please refer to www.teddickeywestfuneral.com